Los Angeles Times

Finding outside help to finance movies

Pandemic uncertaint­y has prompted the studios to partner with new investors.

- By Anousha Sakoui

When the eagerly awaited “Coming to America” and “Mission: Impossible” sequels hit theaters this year and next, Brian Oliver will see his company’s credits onscreen in a way he says wasn’t likely before the pandemic.

Last month, the 49- yearold Oscar- nominated producer and financier signed a more than $ 200- million deal with Paramount Pictures to fund up to a quarter of the budget on 10 movies, including next year’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” In exchange, he will share in any profits or losses from the movies.

He views the multi- picture f inance deal as a sign that studios are increasing­ly eager to bring in partners to help mitigate the risks of f inancing in movies at a time when theaters remain largely shut down. Oliver had previously only partnered with Paramount on individual, non- franchise projects such as the Elton John biopic “Rocketman.”

“I don’t think we would have this deal with Paramount if the pandemic didn’t happen,” said Oliver, founder and chief executive of Los Angeles- based New Republic Pictures. “The longer the theatrical market is inhibited by the pandemic the more you are going to see studios seeking out other financing.”

COVID- 19 has upended the revenue streams that Hollywood could once depend on. As theaters have yet to fully reopen and draw film fans, studios have had to f ind other ways to release their movies and recoup investment­s. Independen­t f ilmmakers face increased budgets to meet new safety

protocols and no insurance cover to protect from the losses if shoots shut down. That has opened the f loodgates for deals to sell movies to streamers and for rich individual­s in the U. S. and overseas to back f ilm production.

“The pandemic and its negative impact on theatrical exhibition has certainly shifted the studio f ilm f inancing marketplac­e,” said Ken Deutsch, partner at Latham Watkins, who advised New Republic on its new slate deal. “A brand new set of risks has been introduced into the system — production delays, lack of insurance coverage, cost increases, theater shutdowns, etc. And those risks impact all f ilms, including what would have previously been considered ‘ sure bet’ franchises. These risks have created new investment opportunit­ies that were previously unavailabl­e and are attracting new players.”

Multi- picture f inancing deals like the one between Paramount and New Republic have waned in recent years. As the box office concentrat­ed around fewer, bigger spinoffs and sequels, studios felt less need to bring in investors in order to keep all the profits from their movies.

But that may be changing, given uncertaint­y around the box office, entertainm­ent industry attorneys and studio executives said.

“Having a portfolio approach to investing in motion pictures, where you own a few at 100% and you take on third- party investment with others, helps level out the ebbs and f lows of performanc­e,” said Andrew Gumpert, chief operating off icer for Paramount Pic

tures. “It would not be unreasonab­le to see studios and other production companies entering into similar multi- picture deals, especially when, in the current economic climate, investing in [ f ilm] assets could be appealing to third- party investors.”

A mixed history

Multi- picture deals — sometimes called slate f inancings — have a mixed history in Hollywood. Some ended up in lawsuits after investors were left shoulderin­g losses. More recently studios were able to find money and form strategic partnershi­ps with Chinese companies that could help distribute their movies in the world’s second- biggest box office. But political upheaval led to some of those deals falling away.

Universal Pictures’ slate deal with Beijing- based Perfect World Pictures runs through 2021. Warner Bros. had an agreement with RatPac Dune, but that ended in 2018. Sony in 2017 terminated a $ 200- million slate deal with LStar Capital, an arm of Dallas based private equity group Lone Star Funds, and has not replaced it. Disney has not had a slate deal with third- party investors in

many years.

Studio representa­tives declined to comment on their f inancing partnershi­ps.

The seeds of Paramount’s slate deal with New Republic actually dated before the pandemic.

Oliver had already proved himself as a producer, with Oscar winners “Rocketman” and “Black Swan” to his credits. He started New Republic Pictures in 2017 with backing from the funds of wealthy individual­s based in Monaco and Spain.

The pandemic has made it much tougher for many independen­t producers to get financing for their movies.

“Producers have to cast a much wider net ... as traditiona­l institutio­nal funders are not willing to take the risk of producing during COVID,” said Sean Jefferson, New York- based film finance attorney at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.

Unlike large studios backed by major media conglomera­tes such as Comcast Corp and AT& T, these small budget production­s cannot afford the losses linked with production shutdowns and are already facing higher costs because of safety protocols.

Usually independen­t producers would rely on banks charging a few percentage points of interest to lend them funds to cover the costs of production. But without insurance covering the risks of a COVID- 19linked shutdown, many banks have been unwilling to back these movies.

Some new and existing investors are stepping into bridge the financing gap.

One such f irm is Santa Monica- based f inancier BondIt Media Capital, funded by Canada’s Accord Financial and Dallas- based fund Revere Capital. Some of the projects it has invested in include the TV series “Dive Club” f ilmed in Australia for Netflix.

“We view it as fairly overwhelmi­ng,” said co- founder and CEO Matthew Helderman, referring to the demand for the company’s services. “We’re cautiously optimistic that it will look like this for the next 12 months.”

He expects the company will have invested 30% more funds this year than forecast.

In addition, the rise of production­s internatio­nally in countries where the infection rate is lower has brought in new investors

from those regions.

Production­s can lessen risks on shoots by filming in states and countries where the pandemic has been contained such as in Australia, New Zealand and in certain parts of Scandinavi­a.

Investors also can be tempted by higher interest paid for f inancing f ilms or TV shows.

Investors can charge three to four times what banks would normally earn for f inancing production­s, said Christophe­r Spicer, a partner at Akin Gump who advises banks and investors in entertainm­ent.

“A financier can get a significan­t premium if you are willing to take on the COVID risk during funding because it is cost prohibitiv­e to get insurance now to cover that,” Spicer said.

Banks keep busy

Still, some banks are finding ways to work with independen­t producers and studios.

“We’ve been busier than we’ve ever been,” said Bennett Pozil, executive vice president of Pasadenaba­sed East West Bank. He cited increased activity from streaming and the fact that bankers are working harder to f ind creative ways to f inance f ilms given the challenges caused by the pandemic.

The bank’s clients have included Tyler Perry, among the few independen­t producers who has been able to resume f ilming. Perry followed several health and safety measures, such as quarantini­ng his entire crew at his studio in Atlanta, to prevent outbreaks of the coronaviru­s.

Several entertainm­ent industry attorneys said they too were surprising­ly busy working on deals. “If the current pace continues through the fourth quarter, this will be my busiest year in 10 years,” said Lindsay Conner, who heads the f ilm, television and digital content practice at law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

Conner said the entertainm­ent industry is drawing more cash investors drawn to companies whose valuation may have dipped or whose usual sources of financing have dried up.

“There are smart folks who recognize that the risks may be greater but the rewards are greater also,” he said. “Production budgets have increased, and that has provided opportunit­ies to investors who might not otherwise have been called upon.”

Meanwhile, studios have been trying to f ind ways to release their movies without theaters and recoup investment­s, further contributi­ng to the hive of deal activity.

After Universal Pictures’ success releasing the animated “Trolls” online with a $ 20 rental fee, others have struck lucrative deals with streamers.

Apple took over from Sony as distributo­r of the Tom Hanks movie “Greyhound” for about $ 70 million, and Netf lix paid about $ 30 million to the backers of “Malcolm and Marie,” featuring Zendaya, which was made for under $ 1 million, according to people familiar with the terms.

“Everyone realizes that there’s a need for content and is trying to f igure out how to make movies,” said Roeg Sutherland, co- head of media f inance at CAA, involved in both movie sales. “People are investing a lot more. It’s the most incredible sellers’ market that I’ve seen in the 15 years I’ve been working at CAA.”

 ?? Paramount Pictures ?? NEXT YEAR’S “Mission: Impossible” sequel was partly f inanced by outside investors. Above, the 2018 sequel.
Paramount Pictures NEXT YEAR’S “Mission: Impossible” sequel was partly f inanced by outside investors. Above, the 2018 sequel.

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